Machine for making links or similar articles



Se t. 13 192 p J. H. APPLETON ET AL momma: FOR MAKING LINKS on SIMILAR mucus 4 Sheets -Sheet 1 Se t. 1 1 I J. H. APPLETON ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING LINKS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21. 1924 Sept. 13, 1927.

J. H. APPLETON ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING LINKS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb: 2].. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Se t. l

p 927 J. H. APPLETON ET AL.

' MACHINE FOR MAKING LINKS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb. 21. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mm 52% WSMJ QM 'Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

- UNITED STATES 1,641,9 PATENT OFFEECZE.

JOSEPH H. APPLETON, OF PORT VJASHINGTQN, AND FRANK H. KRIZ, OF QSHKOSH,

"WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS T0 LEACH COMPANY, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, A 003- PORATION 01 VTISCGNSIN.

Application filed'February 21, 1924. Serial No. 694,206.

The invention has to do with'the production of coldshut'repairflinks, such as are 7 commonly used to replace, without welding, unserviceable links in chains and the like. 6 The principle object of the invention is to provide a machine vfor automatically making cold-shut repair links.

Another ob3ect is to provide such-a ma chine wherein correlated mechanisms'are embodied for I automatically effecting, in proper synchronism, the feeding, heating, upsetting, flattening, punching, bending and discharging operations. 7

Another object is to provide such a machine. wherein. thevarious operations are effected simultaneously upon a plurality of stock portions in corresponding stages of completion.

Another object is to provide such a machine wherein a substantially continuous feed of the stock for the links is had under automatic actuation of the machine, and a substantially continuous discharge of the completed links is had at a rate generally co1nfor but one of the various operations.

With the machineof the invention, it is possible to produce cold-shut repair links in'a, much .more efficient manner than has heretofore been done, since the machine permits rapid, economical and uniform production. suitably modified form, it is'also possible to produce other generally similar articles in an equally efiicient manner. I

Otherfobjects and advantages" which are not specifically referred to in this disclosure willbeapprec'iated by those skilled inthe art upon a full comprehension of the conf struction,arrangement and manner of operinvention short of its intended scope as demensurate with the time interval required structure 18 a which lVith the machine of the invention in- Fig. 8 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a section through the feeding mechanism of the same on the line 4t of 2;

Fig- 5 is a section through the heating and upsetting mechanisms of the same on the line 55 of Fig; 2';

Fig. 6 is a section through the flattening mechanism of the same on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; f

Fig. '1" is a section through the punching mechanism of the same on' the line 7-7 of Fig. 2; 1 i

. Fig. 8 is a section through the bending and discharging mechanisms of the same on the line 88 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the finished cold-shut repair links.

The machine ofthe invention comprises in general a power-transmitting mechanism .10, a feeding mechanism 11, a heating mechanism12, and upsetting mechanism 13, a flattening mechanism 14, a punching mechanism 15,11 bending mechanism 16 and a discharging mechanism 17 The variousmech- 'anisms mentioned aremounted in operative correlation upon an elongated table-like I constitutes the main frame of the machine. In. operation, the power-transmitting mechanism runs continuously, the other mechanisms are caused to function intermittently, the stock from which the links are tobe formed is fed into the front end of the machine, and the automatically finish-ed links are discharged from the rear end of the machine.

The powertransmitting mechanism 10-.

see particularly Fig. "3-includes "a power shaft 19 which extends across the rear end of the frame, a gear 20 which is detachably secured to the shaft 19 by a clutch 21, a cam shaft 22 which extends across the rear end of the framev above theshaft 19, a gear 23 r. S; e

which is secured to the. shaft 22 and is meshed with the gear 20 on the shaft 19. two gears 24, and 25 which are also secured tothe shaft 22, two cam shafts 26 and 27 which em I tend along thesidesof the frame, two gears from each other transversely of the machine and are provided, like the electrodes,

with brackets and cam rollers in operative engagement with two of the cams now specifically designated as 58 58! The portions of the die members '57 57 which operate on the upset portion 53 of the stock are shallow circular recesses having cutting projections along their front edges. When the die members are brought together on the stock under the actuation ofthe cams 58 58, the upset portion 53 is flattened into a disk 59, and the disk, with alength of stock eX- tending from' the sametoward therear of the machine, is partially severed at 60 from the stock extending from the disk toward the front of the machine.

The punching mechanism l5-see particularly Figs. 2, 6 and 7includes two coact-' ingdie members 61 62 whlch are mounted The portions of the die .members 61 62 which operate on the flattened disk 59 of the stock 35 are respectively a cylindrical plug 65 recedes from the opposite face of the disk and permits the slug cut from the disk to drop through an opening 66 in one of the die members 57 57. The punch 64 is then positively withdrawn'from the aperture in the disk by a member 67 which is linked to the die member carrying the punch '64 by means of a laterally extending pin 67 and V is provided, like either one of the die mem hers 61 62, with a bracket and a cam roller in operative engagement'with one ofthe cams 30 now specifically designated as 68. The pin 67 is in lappedl relation to a-portion of lithe die -memb er 61' carrying the The bending mechanism 16,.-see'-particvularly Figs. 2, 3 and 8-includes a'stationary anvil member 69, a primary bending die punch 64 to re member 70 which is mounted opposite the anvil member 69 for reciprocal movement transversely of the machine and is provided, like either one of the die members 61, 62, with a bracket and a cam roller in operative engagement with one of the cams 30v now specifically designated as 71, and a secondary bending die member 72 which is mounted rearwardly of the anvil member 69 and the die member 70 for reciprocal movement longitudinally of the machine and isprovided with across pin 73 anda pivotally mounted lever 74 which is coupled at its upper end with the cross pin 73 and supports ajcam roller 75 in operative engagement with one of the cams 30 n0w specifically designated as 76. Any suitable means, such as springs or the like, may be employed to move the die members 70 and 72 away from the' anvil member 69 again 7 upon the completion of the primary and secondary phases of the bending operation. The face of the anvil member 69 is medially recessed and provided with an angulated groove having the bent configuration of the sides 77 and 78 of the finished link'illustrated in Fig. 9; the head of the primary bending die member 70 is medially extended and provides an angulated groove complementary to the groove of'the anvil member; andthe head of the secondary die member 72 is beveled complementary with a side facelof thehead-of the die member 70 and provides, in association with the grooves in the faces of the members 70 and 72, a groove havingthe bent configuration of the side 7 9 of the finished link. The primary bending die member 7O first moves toward the stationary anvilmember 69 and bends therebetween the stock 35, which was, prior to such bending operation, shaped as aperturedheadat one end of a short length of roundstock, and, as the stock 35 is thus bent .to form the sides 77 and 7 S of the fin ished link, the slight connection of the apertured head with the stock in the machine forwardly thereof is sheared. I The secondary bending die member 72 then moves towards the beveled side of the head 'of' the bending die member 70 and bends therebetween the stock 35 to form the side the finishedlink, leaving the now finished link in an encompassing'position about the front; and side faces of the head ofthe die member 70.

V The discharging mechanism-see particularly Figs. 2, 3 and 8is associated structur ally with the bending die member 7 O and the :anvil member 69 of thebending mechanism, and includes two spaced links 80 which are pivotally mounted at corresponding ends to the upper portion of the stationary anvil member .69 of the bending mechanism and are providedadjacent their free ends with inclined slots 81 which engage over studs on the upper portion oil. the prinrar bend-- inn dio ineniher TO. The links 80 have dou'nvardly extending pririections 83 lorated ahove the position assinned by the tinished link on the faces oi: the head of the die member 70, and, when the die member Tl.) is \rithdrz an away :troni thi anvil Hitlll her (Bil upon the completion of the primary and seeondary phases of the bending operzo tion, the projections swing outwardly and strip the iinished link from the head of the die. member, whereupon the iinished linl; will drop into any suitable receptacle or chute prorided to receive the same.

The Olltltlllloll oil the machine of the invention may he hrietl i; summarized as follows:

.itt the eoinnleinrenieiit oil? the automatic: ope ationi the operator in ehar oi the maehine nserts into the bore of the feeding ilittlllllllr lll one end portion oli a long piece ot the steel: :t'roin which the linlts are to he learned, and positions such entering end por tion against the :l riction gauge presented by the front face of the two-part clamping derice, During; the tin-st ope int;- cycie oi the machine, the entering end portion oi the steel; is advanced by the tiieedingr mechanism only into the front electrodes of the heating;' mechanism, and no portion of the stock is positioned in operative relation to the heatlll ti upsetting, llzlil'etlllllf pain-hing, bending, or discharging mechanisms. During the seeond cycle, the entering end portion is advanced into the rear eleetrodea, and the h ilting;- and upsetting operations are then had on the end portion. During the third cycle, the end portion is advanced into the die members 5? 57, and the flattening and punching operations are then had on the end portion while the heating and upsetting operations are being; had on that portion oil. the stool; next to the end portion. During the fourth err-le the end portion is advanced into the bending; die members 70 T2 and the heiaiiny; and disehaining operations are then had on the end portion to tinish the first; hair while the illalteningt and punching operations are being had on the portion of the stool; next to the end portion and While the heatiir; and upsetting: operations are being; had on the portion of the stock second to the end. portion. it is evident that during eaeh operatii'ia c ele after the third cycle, all of the ineehanisins are active upon arious portions oi. the stoek in C(il'lQSPOIHllHQ stages of completion, and a substantially continuous disrharg e of the finished links had.

l r'hilc the machine or the invention herein presented as one wherein the various Ol'ITClLtiTLtl operating mechanisms are disposed in longitudinally aligned arrangement, it is evident that other modified arrangements of the inechanisn'ls might be employed. For instance, the mechanisms ini rht he arranged in a circle, or the order in .roirh the nieehanisins :l unrtiou might be elaingjul, or eertain of the mechanisms might he niodiiied as where the stock is cut to lennth heliore insertion into the machine and areordingly newesaitates a dillerent feeding ineehanimn or certain ol the mechanisms lnin'ht he omitted as where the steel; is fed to the machine in an already heated conditioin or eerta'ii'i ot' the mechanisms might he duplieated as where the stock is hrmie ht up to the desired heat in stages ealling- :if'or dil ferent sets 01 heating electrodes. All such structural niodilications are obv ously with in the purview of the invention.

We claim:

l. in a machine for making links or sine ilar articles, means l or feeding in stool; for one article, means for Forming; an aperture n. one end ot the stock and means for bond ion the other end of ill! stock into approxiinaie l't :ration with the aperiared end.

E3. in a machine i'or making links or simi l; articles. in *ans tor feeding in steel; tor on ariirie. means for upsetting one portion oi the stoelt. means for flattening the upset portio i mean: for punching; the llattened portioin nie: tor heading the stock into the desired :tornn and means for discharging the finished artiele.

3. in a machine for making links or similar a rtieles means itor :iieeding in stock for one artieie, nut-ans for heating the ted-in portion of the stock. nierns tor upst ting the heated portion, means tor flattening the upset portion, means for punching the lattenod portion, in ans for bending the stock into the desired form, and ineai'is for discharging the finished article.

i. In a inarhinc for making; links or sinihaarticles, an elongattal ranie, a number tools arranged lOilfgL'l'lNVltit oi" the frame pairs tno shaiits extending it "liu'ise the frame at opposite sit of .re same,

nnections bet; ween the shale; and the not: r operatil'igr the latter in ea: h pair tow: and away from each other to peril orni dil iterent forming: operations on the itltfh'. and means for feeding the stool; iitltijidh'ii-it) oi the iiitllilt} into operative relal ion to the ioois nlierehy a series oi operai'iois are ell'ceted siinnltaneously on a ruunher oi lenejthio1? stool: in corre pondingr stages o i eoiapletiini.

a. In a machine lor making links or similar article an elongz atial trai ie. a number of tools arrai'iged lengthwise ot the iifl'tlllti in paris, two eon 'iiiuously rotating (1111i snails extending lenn'thw' e ol the frame a i: onposite sides of the sauna inns in operatii'c leiation to the can] shafts, (itillililttlfiilfi hetueen the rains and the tools iiior operating the latter in each pair toward and array from each other interinittently to peril'orln ditt nt forming operations on the stock, and means for feeding the steel: intermittent-1y lengthwise of the machine into operative relation to the tools whereby a series of op erations are effected simultaneously on a number of lengths of stock in corresponding stages of completion.

6. In a machine for making links or similar articles, a discharging mechanism comprising ,a stationary anvil member, a die member, movable towarc and away -from the anvil member and having a head about which the finished link is left by the previous coaction of the members, and a stripping member having a pivotal connection with one of the members and a cam connection with the other, whereby when the members are separated the stripping member will be moved by said separation to strip the finished link from the head of the die member.

7. In a machine for making links or similar articles, a discharging mechanism comprising a stationary anvil member, a die member movable toward and away from the anvil member and having a head about which the finished link is left by the previous ooaction of the members, and a stripping member having a pivotal connection with one of the members and a pin-and-slot con nection with the other, whereby when the members are separated the stripping member will be moved by said separation to strip the finished link from the head of the die member.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

JOSEPH, H. APPLETON. FRANK n. KRIZ. 

